Wilmington is a city in North Carolina, and is the county seat of New Hanover County. Located in the southeastern part of the state, it is home to the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, the U.S.S. North Carolina Battleship Memorial, the Cape Fear Museum, Airlie Gardens, and a large historic district. It is convenient to nearby beaches, and is a relatively short drive from the Triangle (Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill), Charlotte, Myrtle Beach, SC, and the I-95 corridor.

The city is famous for its beaches, seafood, and historic plantations. As of the census of 2005, there were about 96,000 people residing in the city, estimates now are just over 100,000, with about 360,000 residents in the metro area. The racial makeup of the city is about 70% White, 26% African American, and the remainder other races.

The cultural opportunities in Wilmington are endless; aquariums, museums, historical sites, festivals, libraries, film studios, theatres, plantations and more can be enjoyed in this richly cultured city.

Wilmington is situated between the Cape Fear River and the Atlantic Ocean. With the influence of the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf Stream, some 45-60 miles offshore, Historic Wilmington and North Carolina's Cape Fear Coast - Carolina Beach, Kure Beach & Wrightsville Beach enjoy a temperate subtropical climate year-round. Summer temperatures are usually in the 80s. Seasons are mild, with an average 212 sunshine days and a mean average temperature of 63.7 degrees Fahrenheit. The average winter temperature is about 50 degrees.

From the south via I-95 N, or from the direction of Charlotte, you should take US 74 E (exit 14 in North Carolina from I-95). It will take you about an 1.5 to 2 hours to get to Wilmington from the junction of I-95 and US 74. If taking this route, you should be sure to stock up on snacks and drinks, use the restroom, and fill up your gasoline tank before merging onto US 74 E, because stops are few and far between until arriving in Wilmington. US 74 (running concurrent with US 17 and US 76 at this point) crosses the Cape Fear River Bridge into Wilmington just south of the Historic District.

From the north via I-95 S, or from the direction of Raleigh, take I-40 E. Again, it will take approximately 1.5 to 2 hours to get to Wilmington from the junction of I-95 and I-40. You should be aware that stops between I-95 and Wilmington are also infrequent, although there is a rest area near Warsaw, at the exit for NC 24.

Wilmington is served by Wilmington International Airport (ILM) [1], located at 1740 Airport Blvd, to the northwest of downtown. Two airlines fly into ILM: American Airlines and Delta. There are non-stop flights to Atlanta, Charlotte, New York, Orlando/Sanford, Washington DC, and Philadelphia.

Bus service to and from Wilmington is via Carolina Trailways, a subsidiary of Greyhound. Buses connect Wilmington to Charleston, Goldsboro, Myrtle Beach, Raleigh and Savannah. The station is located at 201 Harnett Street in downtown Wilmington. Service is infrequent, with only four arrivals and departures per day, and the station is open for limited hours: 9AM-1PM, and 4PM-6PM.

Wilmington is very much a driving town. Below are some alternatives to driving, but keep in mind that the boating and biking mentioned are mostly recreational activities, not the best way between points A and B. If you're arriving in Wilmington without a car, you will need to rent one, use cabs for the duration of your stay (which must be called ahead of time), or rely on the inadequate and infrequent coverage of the local bus network.

The NCDOT Cape Fear Run Bicycling Highway 5 connects Apex to Wilmington and closely parallels the RUSA 600km brevet route. The 300-mile Ports of Call Bicycling Highway 3 connects Wilmington to Bath, Edenton, New Bern and Southport. The River to the Sea Bikeway (signed route 1) runs for ten miles from downtown Wilmington to Wrightsville Beach along local streets and off-road paths. The Wilmington Metropolitan Planning Organization[dead link] produced a map of local bicycle facilities and routes in 2007. More recently the Gary Shell Cross City Trail[dead link] was constructed, which runs from Wrightsville Beach, through multiple city parks, ending 15 miles later at E.L Wade Park.

Local bus service is provided by the Cape Fear Public Transportation Authority, which does business as WAVE Transit. WAVE Transit operates eight local routes through the city of Wilmington and New Hanover County. Most of these operate every 30 min on weekdays. The authority also operates a free downtown trolley that runs every 10 min on weekdays and infrequent service to the towns of Belville, Bolton, Hallsboro, Lake Waccamaw, Leland, Navassa, and Whiteville on the west side of the Cape Fear River. The base fare for a one-way trip is $1.50. The services that cross the river are more expensive.

If you do not drive to Wilmington, it really is advisable to rent a car once you arrive as travel in Wilmington is so difficult without one.

Car rental is available at the airport from these companies:

Avis, +1 910 763-1993

Hertz Rent-a-Car, +1 910 762-1010

National Car Rental, +1 910 762-8000

Thrifty Rent-a-Car, +1 910 343-1411

Traffic can be heavy in some parts of Wilmington (South College Rd., Market St.), but on the whole, driving around town is relatively easy. For the most part, major thoroughfares radiate out from the historic downtown, and there are numerous streets that allow you to cut across these radiating thoroughfares. The new Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway provides easy access to downtown, the airport, Interstate 40, and the beach while bypassing the most congested parts of Wilmington.

Bellamy Mansion, 503 Market St, ☎+1 910 251-3700. Tours on the hour Tu-Sa 10AM-5PM, Su 1PM-5PM. Offices open M–F 9AM-5PM. Built for planter Dr. John D. Bellamy in 1859, the Bellamy Mansion is Wilmington's most spectacular example of antebellum architecture. Today, the mansion operates as a museum of history and design arts, and is owned by Preservation North Carolina. See exhibits on architectural history, historic preservation and design arts, and see the newly restored carriage house and gardens. Plans are being made at the moment for restoring the slave quarters. Admission for adults $12, military and senior discount $10, student $6, Group tours $9 (20 or more persons with required advance reservations).

Burgwin-Wright House, 224 Market St, ☎+1 910 762-0570. M-Sa, 10AM-4PM. M-F, tours hourly, with the last tour at 3:30PM. On Saturdays, tours on the half-hour, with the last tour at 3:30PM. From the house museum's own website: "Using the old jail as the foundation, the Burgwin-Wright House was built in 1770 by John Burgwin, planter, merchant, and treasurer of the colony of Carolina. In 1781, 'the most considerable house in town' was occupied by Lord Cornwallis as his headquarters shortly before his defeat and surrender at Yorktown, Virginia."

Cape Fear Museum, 814 Market St, ☎+1 910 341-4350. Tu-Sa 9AM-5PM, Su 1-5PM. From Memorial Day to Labor Day the Museum is open M 9AM-5PM. The "Cape Fear Museum of History and Science collects, preserves, and interprets objects relating to the history, science and cultures of the Lower Cape Fear."

Cape Fear Serpentarium, 20 Orange St, ☎+1 910 762-1669. M-F 11AM-5PM, Sa-Su 11AM-6PM. Hours may vary seasonally, so phone ahead for confirmation. The Cape Fear Serpentarium features more than 80 exotic snakes from around the world. Unusual—one man's personal collection of snakes, and he feeds them himself. Tickets are $8 and children under 2 years of age are free. Ask about special group or educational discounts.

Wilmywood

You see trailers and movie crews filming on location. When you walk down the street you run into a celebrity. Are you in LA? No. What about New York? Not there either. You are in Wilmington, the USA's third largest film and TV production site. Television shows (such as Dawson's Creek, One Tree Hill, and HBO's Eastbound & Down) and movies (including Iron Man 3, The Crow, Blue Velvet, and Stephen King's Maximum Overdrive) filmed in Wilmington are making this area a major center of American film and television production.

EUE Screen Gems Studio, 1223 North 23rd St, ☎+1 910 343-3433. Tours are offered at 12PM on Saturdays from September to May and Saturdays and Sundays 12PM and 2PM from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Tour of EUE Screen Gems Studios North Carolina takes visitors through North Carolina's film history. This one-hour walking tour includes visits to the sets of Dawson’s Creek, Iron Man 3 and One Tree Hill.

[dead link]Burchetta Glassblowing Studio & Gallery, 201 Redcross St (Historic Downtown Wilmington), ☎+1 910-399-7614. 10-5. Live Glassblowing Daily. We invite you to watch as we demonstrate our Glass Blowing skills everyday from 10AM - 2PM and answer any question you may have. Now you can make your own Art Glass. We offer Glassblowing Lessons, and in as little as one hour you will leave with a piece of Art Glass that you have created. Tours for large groups are available by appointment. Busses Welcome.

33.96277-77.925551Fort Fisher Aquarium, 900 Loggerhead Road Kure Beach (The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher is located on US 421 approximately 15 miles south of Wilmington, just beyond Kure Beach. From Southport, take the Southport-Fort Fisher Ferry.), ☎+1 910-458-8257. 9AM to 5PM. Fort Fisher is a great local aquarium. It comes standard with all the regular fish that you see at every aquarium. Then Fort Fisher goes above most aquariums by having a large terrarium on the entry level with reptiles from venomous snakes to an albino alligator. In the next section are seabirds, turtles, and seahorses. The marine lower level has the bulk of the interesting ocean creatures, with a very good shark exhibit; a touch tank with rays and skates; and octopi, a moray eel, jellyfish, and a whale exhibit. The "exotic aquatics" section has Hawaiian fish, lion fish, spiny lobster, poison dart frogs, and a great display of the pacific reef. The new Megalodon exhibit consists of a 23-foot curved projection screen that brings this monstrous shark back from extinction. The aquarium has a "Shark Bites" snack bar that has a variety of food.$8 general admission, $6 for kids 3-12, $7 for seniors, under 3 is free.

USS North Carolina Battleship Memorial, ☎+1 910 251-5797. open every day of the year, including all holidays. Summer Hours: Friday before Memorial Day (May 25, 2015) through Labor Day (Monday, September 7, 2015): 8AM – 8PM, EXCEPT Independence Day (4th of July) when the ship closes at 6PM for enforcement of firework safety zone. Winter Hours: Tuesday following Labor Day (September 8, 2015) through Thursday before Memorial Day (May 30, 2016): 8AM – 5PM, EXCEPT Christmas Day when the Ship opens at noon.. Moored across the river from downtown Wilmington, this battleship offers visitors the chance to envision the daily life and fierce combat her crew faced in the Pacific Theatre during World War II. Exhibits tell the story of the ship's crew through their oral histories, photographs, and mementos. The tour is self-guided and is well-marked so that you can tour at your own pace. Allow at least two hours for the tour, but for the true enthusiast, you can spend much more than that.Adults (12yrs-64yrs): $14.00, Seniors (65yrs and over): $10.00, Military (Active, retired, and dependents with military ID): $10.00, Children (6yrs-11yrs): $6.00, Children (5 and under): Free. Ticket sales end one hour before closing..

Airlie Gardens, 300 Airlie Rd, ☎+1 910 798-7700. Airlie Gardens encompasses 67 acres of quintessential Southern gardens with 10 acres of freshwater lakes. Features include azaleas, camellias, statuary and the Historic Airlie Oak. This once privately owned garden was purchased for the public by New Hanover County in January, 1999. The gardens are located near Wrightsville Beach on Airlie Road.

Hit the beach! There are several beaches to choose from in Wilmington: Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach, and Kure Beach. Wrightsville and Carolina Beach are crowded in the summer, but there are always good views and good times. Wrightsville Beach (follow US 74 or US 76 east) has two piers, one owned by a restaurant, the Oceanic, and the other is a public pier. The original wooden public pier was destroyed by a hurricane in '98 or '99 and has since been rebuilt with cement pilings. This pier also has an arcade for those interested. Carolina Beach (head south on S. College Road) has a board walk with an arcade, several restaurants, an ice cream shop, and a pier.

Jungle Rapids, 5320 Oleander Dr, ☎+1 910 791-0666. Water park closed during off season but dry park open all year round, hours vary and park may close due to inclement weather so call ahead! Its main feature is the water park, but includes an arcade, mini golf, and go karts. Prices vary for admittance to the waterpark, but the best price is the 4PM-7PM $14.95 for all ages special.

Marrz Theatre, 15 S. Front St, ☎+1 910 772-9045. Voted Best Live Music Venue by Encore magazine. Marrz offers live music from national and regional bands on one of the largest stages in any area club. Show dates and times vary, so check the schedule at their website or call. Marrz has all ABC permits and offers full bar services, beer and wine, but no food service. Some seating is available. The second floor houses a game room and features a pool table, Foosball and other games. Ticket prices vary according to the band. Municipal parking is available directly behind the club.

Haunted Cotton Exchange (Cotton Exchange), 321 North Front St (Approaching the Cotton Exchange from Market Street, turn right on 3rd Street, continue to Grace Street and make a left, head straight towards the Hilton. Turn right into our parking lot. Parking is FREE while shopping and dining.), ☎+1 910 409-4300. Open Year Round. Scary, creepy and mostly ghostly tales. Chills and thrills await you at the one of the most historic & haunted locations in Wilmington. Bring your camera.$12, under 12 free.

There is plenty of shopping to be done in Wilmington. Downtown has many neat clothing and shoe stores. Most notable is a cluster of eight historic buildings called The Cotton Exchange. The Cotton Exchange offers a variety of shopping and dining opportunities all in a charming turn of the century setting. Parking for visitors to The Cotton Exchange is free.

Independence Mall off of Oleander Drive is a respectable mall. Its major department stores are Dillards, JC Penney's, Sears, and Belk's. There are a plethora of other shops to browse as well. The mall wasn't much to talk about before the renovation in 2000. They added the Dillard's and an entire new wing to the mall.

Mayfaire is all outdoor but very nice. If you are in good health, you should have no problem parking in one place and walking around the mall. It's sort of upscale (but not out of reach of the average family) with Belk's and such. It also has an incredibly large and nice movie theater. Definitely the best in town. There are also condos located upstairs to some of these buildings. They are costly, but very beautiful. It is a gorgeous place to walk around and shop for the day.

Max Muscle Sports Nutrition, 132 Racine Dr. Unit B-1, ☎+1 910 792-5599. Monday-Friday 10AM-7PM, Saturday 10AM-6PM. The owner/operator Arthur Quaranta is a nice approachable man who knows what he is talking about when it comes to nutrition products. The government just made new standards for these products; where other companies had to adjust to these new standards, Max Muscle's products still exceed the new standard.Mid Price range.

Tour Old Wilmington, Tour meets at the end of Market on the Cape Fear River (Take Market or HWY 17 to downtown, dead ends at the Cape Fear River), ☎+1 910 409-4300. Open Year Round. Tour Old Wilmington and discover hidden history and a lost time as we travel to Wilmington during the Victorian Era (1837- 1901) Learn about Wilmington’s rich and colorful history as we reveal what life was like in Wilmington during the Civil War, customs and traditions of the day, sea tales, folklore and more..! Call for Tour Times. Walking tours start at the foot of Market and Water Streets, be sure to look for the Victorian Lady!$12.

self-catering The local grocery store chains are Lowes Foods (some open 7AM-11PM, others open 6AM-12AM), Harris Teeter (24 hours), and Food Lion. All three stores have a rewards cards program so borrow another customer's card to get the discount! Of course there is the omnipresent Wal-Mart (24 hours) with two locations in Wilmington. One near the intersection of College and Market and the other on Carolina Beach Road.

[dead link]Port City Chop House, 1981 Eastwood Rd, ☎+1 910 256-4955. M-F 11:30AM-10PM, lounge is open until 11PM, Sa 4:30PM-10:30PM, lounge is open until 11:30PM. Serves center cut beef, lamb, and pork, and serve only certified Angus Beef. Also offered are a variety of seafood and pasta dishes. Lunch and dinner specials are served every day.

Port City Java Wilmington, among other things, is known for their coffee. Port City Java, which was founded in this small town and has now gone global, has an excellent selection of coffee, bagels, and other varieties of café specialties. A local favorite.

Smoothie King If craving something fruity and refreshing, Smoothie King had smoothie flavors that will satisfy anyone's taste buds.

Hell's Kitchen, 118 Princess St, ☎+1 910 763-4133. until 2AM. Formerly a set for the locally filmed TV show Dawson's Creek, Hell's Kitchen has fast become a popular downtown destination for good times among friends. A pub-style setting and a menu of pub sandwiches, burritos and nachos. Full liquor bar available and offers a wide variety of draught and microbrew beers. Recently, well known Wilmington nightclub "Rum Runners" merged with this establishment, bringing their signature dueling pianos show with them.

Front Street Brewery, 9 North Front St, ☎+1 910 251-1935. A great brewpub, located in the historic downtown district of Wilmington featuring great beer and good food. Prices are good, and they have daily $1.99 mug special of one of their delicious house beers, as well as cheap lunch specials. Live entertainment on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights.

Cape Fear Wine and Beer, 139 N Front St, ☎+1 910 763-3377. A hybrid specialty beer and wine shop/old-world public house, CFWB offers the most impressive selection of microbrews, imports, and wines in eastern NC. 12 beers (and a mead!) rotate on their various taps and draught engines and they boast a selection of over 300 beers and 200 wines. The theme is best described as German beer hall and UK pub have a weird three-way with a bunch of vikings while listening to gnarly punk music. The staff is exceptionally knowledgeable and helpful, AND the establishment serves as an off-premises store.

The Dubliner, 1756 Carolina Beach Rd, ☎+1 910 343-8342. until 2AM. The most authentic Irish pub in the city, The Dubliner is located a few miles from the hustle bustle of Front Street. Owned by legitimate Dubliners Tom and Doreen Melina, this bar is a quaint, cozy, quieter favorite of locals and older crowds. Here you can find the perfect pint of Guinness, Harp, Bass, or Magners. Friday nights are live trad Irish music nights; Tom's three-piece, "The Molly Malones" play acoustic Irish pub tunes starting usually around 10PM. There is no cover except for special events (St. Paddy's, etc), which makes the Friday night music a wonderful deal for those looking for a little 'craic'.

Hilton Wilmington Riverside, 301 N Water St, ☎+1 910 763-5900, fax: +1 910 763-0038. Located on the riverfront, this hotel is on the pricier end of the spectrum. Rooms feature either a view of downtown Wilmington or a view of the Cape Fear River. Amenities include pool, business center, high speed internet access, meeting room, pets allowed, wheelchair access, and on-site dining.$69-$185.

Riverview Suites, 106 North Water St, ☎+1 910-763-5900. Located on the riverfront, this is an all suite hotel, prefect for families or extended stays. No two suites are alike and you get to use the facilities at the Hilton Wilmington.

The Time Warner Cable Store in Independence Mall has free internet kiosks set and free wifi access.

Internet access is available at Bella's Sweets & Spirits 19 Market St. Historic Downtown Wilmington, NC, +1 910 762-2777. Bella's Sweets & Spirits is an Italian-style coffee bar that offers free wireless high speed internet access and allows use of their in house computers for a fee. Prices range from $1.25 to $6.75.

Do not go to the public library for Internet access if you are not a New Hanover County resident. Library cards, required for internet access, are free for New Hanover County residents but non-residents must show ID and pay $30.00 a year for a library card [6].

Additionally, there is a new Internet Café adjacent to the public parking lot below the Pier Arcade in Wrightsville Beach. This is at approximately Public Beach Access entrance 15.

The City of Wilmington also offers free wireless internet access in several areas of downtown. Citi Port Wireless Internet access is a free service provided by the city for citizens along Riverwalk, restaurants and businesses in central downtown. The service is accessible along the central part of Water Street and the foot of Market Street. [7][dead link]

Due to several low-income neighborhoods located near the Front Street nightlife district and the fact that the nightlife attracts a hefty group of college students and US military personnel from nearby Camp Lejeune Marine Corps base, Wilmington does have a slightly higher crime rate than would be expected from a city of its size. When walking through unfamiliar neighborhoods/areas (particularly at night), exercise the standard level of awareness and caution and try to travel in groups. During late weekend nights, alcohol-fueled fights on Front Street are not unheard of. Typically this occurs around the time bars begin closing at 2:30-3:30AM The police are typically on top of disturbances, however, and such fights serve more as a public nuisance than a threat to safety. The Front Street riverfront nightlife district typically has a considerable mounted police presence on busy nights able to handle any disruptions.

There are several neighborhoods that have reputations as crime spots, but these areas offer nothing of interest to the visitor and are best avoided altogether. Do not mistakenly, particularly at night, wander into low-income neighborhoods that border the riverfront/Front Street district. Violent crime has been known to happen in these areas.

Always be aware of your surroundings. Front Street is quite a busy area; if you find yourself suddenly in an area lacking in pedestrian traffic, there is probable a reason for it so immediately turn around.

Because Wilmington is on the coast, there is a possibility that a tropical storm system could affect the Wilmington area during hurricane season (June 1 - November 30). Stay informed about any systems and be prepared if one is expected to make landfall in the area. For hurricane safety and preparation tips pick up a hurricane tracking map at a local grocery store.

Fort Fisher[dead link]. If interested in Civil War history, drive south on College Road (I-40) until it dead-ends to check out Fort Fisher. This was a major stronghold of the confederacy. The ocean has eroded much of this fort but there is still quite a bit left. Visitors walking around may find a bullet casing from the war. Additionally, before the Civil War, the area was inhabited by Native Americans so it is common for someone digging around to find an arrowhead from the Indians.

Southport Take the ferry on a day trip from Wilmington to this quaint little town. Stroll along the sidewalks, check out the antique shops, historic homes, grab a bite to eat, and experience true southern hospitality. Unfortunately, with the plans to build a new port and the building of condos and strip malls, this gem will eventually go the way of the dodo bird. See it now before its gone.

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